Dr. Thomas Graeme to Thomas Penn, 1750. 445 LETTER OF DR. THOMAS GRAEME TO THOMAS PENN, 1750. [The following letter is one of a number in the "Penn Manuscripts," Historical Society of Pennsylvania, written by Dr. Thomas Graeme, of Graeme Park, to Thomas Penn, urging the laying out of a town in the "Forks of ye Delaware" [Easton] and the formation of a new county [Northampton]. The fear that the large number of German settlers in that section would have considerable political influence, was well founded. At the first election for Assemblyman, 1752, James Burnsides defeated William Parsons, the Proprietary candidate; but in 1753, Parsons was successful; in 1754, Burnsides was again elected, and in 1755, William Edmonds was successful. Burnsides and Edmonds were Moravians, but natives of Great Britain. To this day, the "Pennsylvania Dutch" vote, is an important factor at all elections in the county.] Philad a Nove r. 6 th, 1750. Honoured Sir, I had the pleasure of transmitting to you by Mr. Hockley my reasons for establishing a Town on your Land on the point of the fforks, which I hope are come safe to hand sometime agoe; as well as that you find the argument therein urg'd on just grounds; at least for myself I think they are so, else should never presum'd to offer to you S r what I thought was in anyways to the contrary. However from some small conversation I have since had with your Secretary M r Peters, I begin to doubt whether he be so clearly of the same Opinion as I think he first gave me grownds to believe; yet I may be mistaken, for I did not press for any explanation on that head, knowing it was sufficient to refer the whole to your Judgement before whom it must come for its ultimate decision. The present clamour of a great many people here of all Banks, ffriends as much as others, is that the Dutch, by their numbers and Industry, will soon become
446 Dr. Thomas Grceme to Thomas Penn, 1750. Masters of the province, and also a Majority in the Legislature therefore by all ways and means are to be eircumscribb'd and restraind, the late Instance of a tumultuous Election in the New County of York is aduced as an Instance of their disposition and manners, this was made use of by M r Peters to my self, when talking together of the Town now in question, he said it would be a Dutch Town, I told him I made no doubt of that, but by delaying it, it would be still more so when it came to be established some time hence, for at present there are more Irish in the fforks than Dutch, and he knew from this time the Dutch would increase much faster than the Irish, as well by purchasing their lands, as by a greater yearly addition to their numbers, thus we dropt the argument, yet it left that suspition with me that he was not so much on the side of the question with me as I imagined Some Short time after this I happened to have an Accidental conversation with the Governor, who was justly enough complaining of the prospect there was in time of the Dutch getting into the Administration of Government, allowing at the same time they were the best settlers and improvers of the Country; I replyd that there was an easie way to prevent it, and seemingly to please the Dutch too, he was very desirous to know what that might be, I told him he might observe that the Legislature in Erecting the two late Countys, allowd them only Two Members each, and that upon the division of the Countys of Philad a & Bucks, which was also much wanting, if they brought the division line 16 or 18 Miles to the Southward of Reading, and that of Bucks as far to the Southward of the fforks, and to each County Two Members, they would by this division comprehend to a triffle the whole Body of the Dutch, and consequently forever exclude them from becoming a Majority in the assembly for Allow Lancaster York and the Two not yet appointed
Dr. Thomas Grceme to Thomas Penn, 1750. 447 Countys to send all Dutch it would make but ten Members in 38, and to this if the assembly would be induced to add Two more to the City of Philad a it would still strengthen this Scheme. Mr. Hamilton said he had considered it long as a Subject of great importance, and had fallen on the very same thought, as the best expedient for preventing the Evil in prospect; yes I told him it ought to be done in time and with privacy in regard to the Intention, for the Dutch might soon discover which way this would operate, he in this readily agreed. Now Sir I leave you to consider upon the fact I wrote you before, and what I now offer here to your consideration, whether you ought speedily or not cause a Town to be laid out in the fforks as already described, suppose you laid it out any where else it would be no Town of Trade, but the whole carryd over into the Jerseys at the fferry point, which would immediately open the Eyes of the Jersey Government towards so visible an advantage, again suppose you delay it, that passage will still grow more considerable and equally point out their Interest, but more especially if it is as M r Martyn tells me, that the people in Morris County are wanting a Subdivision of that County, if you'l then please S r to cast your Eye on Evanses Map, youl immediately see how naturaly that County will divide by th e line of East and West Jerseys, now the Seat of Judicators for the whole of that County is at Morris Town, formerly Whippany by which name its laid down in the Map from whence youl immediately discover how natural and obvious it would be to that people and Government to place their Town in case of such New County, directly over against you at the fferry point. Shure I am had the Owners of the Lands on the Jersey side examined into this affair with half the attention I have done it would not be long before they sett such a project on foot, but S r as I wrote you
448 Dr. Thomas Grceme to Thomas Penn, 1750. before I have suppressd this part of the argument from them and every body else, till I'm honourd with your Commands. As I have taken some pains in considering this affair its natural for people to say I have an Interest in it, I readily agree and acknowledge it for no doubt from the Towns being settled here I expect a considerable increase in the Value of the 1000 Acres that lys on the same Creek yet if my Arguments Stand on their own Bottom, and not to be answerd by any reason to the contrary, that objection will have little fforce. There will I understand be a petition to the assembly this Winter for a division of Bucks County, and they propose Tochickin for the Southern bounds, as for the acceptance of it, it must be left to time. I could have mentioned several other things, but have trespassd so much already by the length of this, that I have rather your pardon to ask, and to acknowledge how much I am Honoured S r your most obedient most humble Servant. Tho. Graeme. I have one remark more for which I must a little longer entreat your patience & then shall have done. The Moravians being early Settlers in the fforks, and on a grander Scheme than common; they with good Judgement laid out the public Eoads for themselves, the benefit of which is very sensibly now felt by those who have settled since. Thus Bethlhem is their first and chief Settlement so far as it regards a Town, but Nazereth from whence it is Ten Miles distant, is by far the most considerable for fine and large plantations, Thus S r if youl please to conceive (which I know you easily can by the help of your draughts) Nazereth to be situated some pretty good distance below the Center of their 5000 Acres where they have a fine plantation, from thence at about Two or Three Miles distance on each side Like Wings they have large and beautifull
Dr. Thomas Grceme to Thomas Penn, 1750. 449 plantations, and having good Runns of Water each of those plantations on the Wings of the great Body of Land, have a Grist Mill and Saw Mill as good as any in the province. Now S r to render their communication free and regular they first opened a Eoad from Bethlhem to Nazereth all in a direct course, and then on each side of Nazereth as a Center their Eoads to the plantations on the Wings, these answerd very well for their privat correspondance & communications, but by no means sufficient, for general commerce and exportation which all the Country as well as they very much wanted, therefore they & the Country have but lately finished a Road, for that purpose, the course of which is thus, they begin at Bethlhem and by a small slanting course North East from thence they goe about a Mile and half, and from thence by a direct Course all the way thro' some Barrens some plantations thro your 1000 Acres till they arrive at the fferry point of the same, this they call the York Road, because they have no other communication yet open to them that will answer for Trade but York by the way of Brunswick, for still to Brunswick they must come. I apprehend S r from this small description of their Public Roads, and how they are all contrivd by the settlers themselves to Center and terminat at your point of Land where the fferry is kept for going over into the Jerseys, would as effectually convey to your conception the use necessity and advantage of a Town, as any other reasoning I could make use off. Im only sorry I should give you so much trouble by so tedious a narration, but believe me the ffacts are the Truth, as I am Honoured S r repeatedly Your most obedient most humble servant Tho. Graeme. Vox. XXXIX. 29